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Family Planning

Protect Your Parental Rights!

Intended parents forming a family through surrogacy face many medical, legal, and family law issues that go beyond the basic surrogacy agreement and the initial family formation, such as:

Who will act as the legal guardian of your child(ren) in the event you are unable to act due to death, or temporary or permanent disability, prior to the time a parental order is obtained?

Who is authorized to make medical decisions with respect to your child(ren) in the event of your disability or death?

Who is authorized to make vital medical decisions for you if you are unable to make those decisions for yourself?

Who is authorized to make decisions with respect to your other legal and financial matters in the event you become temporarily or permanently disabled, including decisions relevant to the surrogacy and birth process?

Family Planning Documents are drafted to clarify your intentions as to who has authority to make these important decisions regarding your and your child(ren)’s health, medical care, and guardianship in the event of your death or incapacity. Recognizing that our clients find themselves in multiple states both during the course of, and subsequent to, their family creation process IFLG’s Family Planning Documents cover these family-medical-legal issues in a multi-jurisdictional manner drafted with the intent that they be effective in as many states as possible.

Documents Include:

Guardianship Designation, Power of Attorney and Consent Signed by Your Surrogate

Your Surrogacy Agreement is an important legal document; however, its main purpose is to document your arrangement with the surrogate and the parties’ intentions. And while your parental rights are established with a court judgment, even if it is a pre-birth order it does not become effective until the birth of your child(ren). A Surrogate Guardianship Designation will . . .

Guardianship Designation, Power of Attorney and Consent Signed by Your Surrogate

Your Surrogacy Agreement is an important legal document; however, its main purpose is to document your arrangement with the surrogate and the parties’ intentions. And while your parental rights are established with a court judgment, even if it is a pre-birth order it does not become effective until the birth of your child(ren).

A Surrogate Guardianship Designation will help to protect your parental rights before and after the birth of your child(ren), providing you with authority to make medical and other decisions regarding your child(ren) until the court orders of parentage become effective. Therefore, we strongly recommend protecting your parental rights through this formal guardianship document; and it is ideally executed at about the same time as your surrogacy contract.

Your Formal

Guardianship Designation

Many parents often consider who will be responsible for taking care of their child(ren) if they were to die or become incapacitated. Unfortunately, many parents do not find the time to ensure that this decision is made legally binding. Nomination of Guardian and Nomination of Standby Guardian documents officially name . . .

Your Formal Guardianship Designation

Many parents often consider who will be responsible for taking care of their child(ren) if they were to die or become incapacitated. Unfortunately, many parents do not find the time to ensure that this decision is made legally binding.

Nomination of Guardian and Nomination of Standby Guardian documents officially name your choice of alternate/backup guardian(s) of the child(ren), while in utero and once born, in the event that you are unable to be there to care for your child(ren). These documents are accompanied by stand-alone consent forms authorizing another intended parent or a third person to consent to medical treatment for the child(ren). This group of documents is particularly important for families where only one intended parent will be listed on the birth certificate.

Advance Healthcare

Directives/Proxies

Advanced healthcare directives establish your rights to have a particular person make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to do so for yourself.

General Durable

Powers of Attorney

Power of Attorney documents establish the right of your designated person to administer your assets and make legal and financial decisions on your behalf (including with respect to the surrogacy) in the event you are unable to do so for yourself.

Family Planning Documents Can Also

Supplement your will or living trust and insure that appropriate legal appointments and expressions of intent are in place prior to the execution of a will or living trust (which are more complex and often require substantial time to develop in conjunction with an overall estate plan);

Save you time and money, since many of the Family Planning Documents would ordinarily be part of the suite of documents that you would prepare in connection with a will or living trust.

IFLG’s Family Planning Documents are applicable to all Intended Parents,

ABOUT IFLG

As a law firm practicing exclusively in fertility law, we are committed to providing you and your family with the highest caliber legal support in all aspects of assisted reproductive technology law, including surrogacy, egg donation, embryo donation, sperm donation, parental rights, non-traditional family formation and second-parent adoption.

Peiya Wang joined IFLG as a paralegal in 2015, where she manages surrogacy, egg donation and parental establishment cases and provides translation services for many of IFLG’s international clients. Peiya received her bachelor’s degree from Beijing Technologies and Business University, where she majored in Marketing. She moved to the United States in 2012 to attend Northeast University in Boston, Massachusetts, receiving a Master of Science degree in Global Studies and International Affairs in 2014. Peiya moved to Los Angeles in 2015 and received her paralegal certification from UCLA Extension. When away from the office, Peiya is a dragon boat paddler and a ballroom dancer, where she favors Rumbas and Cha-chas. She is fluent in Mandarin and English.

Luis R. Sosa joined IFLG as a paralegal in 2016, where he enjoys pursuing his passion for family and reproductive law. While working toward his bachelor’s degree at Florida International University, Luis worked as a paralegal and legal assistant for family law litigation firms in Miami and Washington, D.C. As a paralegal and case manager for IFLG, Luis, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, manages surrogacy, egg donation and other reproductive law cases. In addition to spending time with husband Randy and dog Marty, Luis enjoys being outdoors and appreciating the arts.

After receiving her B.S. in Business Management, Toni joined IFLG to pursue her dream of working in the legal field. As a Paralegal with over 10 years of experience in the assisted reproduction technology field, Toni is our Managing Paralegal, responsible for training and managing our paralegal staff. From drafting legal documents to assisting our clients with post-birth matters, Toni embraces the challenge of learning something new in this field each day. Besides spending time with her son, Jordan, Toni enjoys exploring new things, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and serving as a Youth Advisor for “Next Generation.”

Miesha Cowart joined IFLG as a financial specialist in 2014 following a successful career in development and business finance. Miesha previously worked for 10 years in the construction industry as a controller and for 13 years as Development Coordinator for the non-profit U.S. Fund for UNICEF. In her free time, Miesha works with “Next Generation” at her church. “They are my heartbeats!” she says of the youth in her community.

Kim has over 25 years of experience in the legal field and has worked exclusively in surrogacy and assisted reproduction law since 1999. Kim is a senior case manager of surrogacy and egg donation cases, and is also responsible for managing parental establishment cases and interacting with IFLG’s Of Counsel attorneys across the country. With three children of her own, Kim understands the importance of family and finds working in this area of law a rewarding experience.

Attorney Rich Vaughn combined his personal passion as a father of twin boys born via assisted reproductive technology (ART) with more than 20 years of experience in business and technology law to build International Fertility Law Group. Today IFLG is one of the most successful and best-known law firms in the world focused exclusively on fertility law, helping thousands of intended parents through empathetic listening, compassionate guidance, and unmatched legal expertise. As an advocate for reproductive freedom, Rich also contributes his knowledge and time to improving the understanding and practice of ART law, most recently as a founder of and speaker at the first Cambridge University International Surrogacy Symposium held in June 2019, as immediate past chair of the American Bar Association ART Committee, and as a popular presenter to law schools, faculty and advocacy organizations all over the world.

Elizabeth received her Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice from California State University of Los Angeles. Shortly after graduating, she continued her education at the University of California, Los Angeles where she obtained her Paralegal certificate. Elizabeth is fluent in Spanish and has been in the legal field since 2009. She is excited to be a part of the IFLG Team helping families realize their dreams.

Sunny joined IFLG as a paralegal in 2017, where she manages surrogacy, egg donation and parental establishment cases for many of IFLG’s international clients. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from California State University of Los Angeles, where she graduated cum laude. Sunny is bilingual in English and Mandarin and has extensive experience as a legal assistant and paralegal at Los Angeles-area law firms. She is excited to be part of the IFLG team. In her spare time, Sunny enjoys spending time with her family and their dog, going to the beach, cooking, and being outdoors.